Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zimbabwe and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Zimbabwe: $864 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe Living Index
131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$864

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zimbabwe and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zimbabwe and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $864 per month in Zimbabwe vs $2,734 in the United States, rent included.

Zimbabwe $864
United States $2,734

A couple spends around $1,423 per month in Zimbabwe vs $3,985 in the United States, rent included.

Zimbabwe $1,423
United States $3,985

A family of three spends $1,981 per month in Zimbabwe vs $5,235 in the United States, rent included.

Zimbabwe $1,981
United States $5,235

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Zimbabwe ($579–$1,065), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Zimbabwe is roughly 68% lower than in the United States on average.

Zimbabwe sits 36% below the global median, while the United States is 101% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.28 ZWL 167

$20.03 $20.03

-68.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.61 ZWL 1,079

$80.0 $80.0

-49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ZWL 147

$11.80 $11.80

-52.97%

Cappuccino

$2.58 ZWL 68.6

$5.55 $5.55

-53.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 ZWL 19.55

$2.66 $2.66

-72.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ZWL 12.74

$2.17 $2.17

-77.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 ZWL 39.04

$6.12 $6.12

-75.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ZWL 52.5

$7.94 $7.94

-75.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ZWL 39.69

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZWL 27.22

$3.59 $3.59

-71.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

$4.52 $4.52

-66.37%

Eggs

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

$4.28 $4.28

-55.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 ZWL 261

$13.22 $13.22

-25.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 ZWL 132

$12.60 $12.60

-60.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.60 ZWL 149

$17.60 $17.60

-68.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 ZWL 72.3

$5.30 $5.30

-48.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ZWL 45.89

$1.69 $1.69

2.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

$4.44 $4.44

-55.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 ZWL 36.02

$4.77 $4.77

-71.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 ZWL 42.97

$2.97 $2.97

-45.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 ZWL 41.56

$3.15 $3.15

-50.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZWL 30.54

$2.20 $2.20

-47.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZWL 26.30

$2.35 $2.35

-57.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ZWL 54.4

$10.98 $10.98

-81.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.92 ZWL 184

$15.05 $15.05

-54.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ZWL 32.88

$2.06 $2.06

-39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

$3.79 $3.79

-49.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ZWL 26.06

$1.94 $1.94

-49.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.26 ZWL 1,043

$59.4 $59.4

-33.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 ZWL 77.7

$3.58 $3.58

-18.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 ZWL 52.3

$1.88 $1.88

4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 ZWL 134

$29.84 $29.84

-83.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 ZWL 47.24

$1.02 $1.02

74.51%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.8K ZWL 659.1K

$28.8K $28.8K

-13.73%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.5K ZWL 729.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

4.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$51.2 ZWL 1,361

$218 $218

-76.49%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.70 ZWL 497

$62.5 $62.5

-70.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 ZWL 1,860

$74.5 $74.5

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.11 ZWL 1,119

$41.86 $41.86

0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 ZWL 539

$22.81 $22.81

-11.05%

Cinema Ticket

$10.07 ZWL 267

$14.70 $14.70

-31.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$287 ZWL 7,613

$1,489 $1,489

-80.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,672 ZWL 203.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-69.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.37 ZWL 515

$54.3 $54.3

-64.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.62 ZWL 468

$42.71 $42.71

-58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.22 ZWL 1,069

$94.1 $94.1

-57.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.91 ZWL 1,140

$114 $114

-62.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ZWL 7,942

$1,659 $1,659

-81.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ZWL 6,409

$1,348 $1,348

-82.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$736 ZWL 19.6K

$2,682 $2,682

-72.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 ZWL 14.8K

$2,169 $2,169

-74.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$924 ZWL 24.6K

$3,283 $3,283

-71.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$397 ZWL 10.6K

$2,482 $2,482

-83.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$369 ZWL 9,804

$4,296 $4,296

-91.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.77

6.55

110.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Zimbabwe: October 27, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Zimbabwe

$241 27.9%

United States

$1.3K 49.3% 459% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Zimbabwe

$197 22.8%

United States

$415 15.2% 111% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zimbabwe

$140 16.2%

United States

$355 13% 154% $215

Eating Out

Zimbabwe

$114 13.2%

United States

$328 12% 188% $214

Sport & Entertainment

Zimbabwe

$62 7.2%

United States

$71 2.6% 14.5% $9

Getting Around

Zimbabwe

$56 6.5%

United States

$80 2.9% 43.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Zimbabwe

$54 6.3%

United States

$137 5% 154% $83

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $240 in Zimbabwe vs $1,620 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $399 in Harare and $2,768 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $363 in Zimbabwe vs $4,549 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 575% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 74% more in the United States.

Public transport is 75% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 13 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

23:53 11:53 PM

7 h behind Zimbabwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,178,979

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ZWL – Zimbabwean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇼 Zimbabwean Dollar ($)

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 26.57 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.67 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.37 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to ZWL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zimbabwe United States 13,660 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Zimbabwe
United States

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Zimbabwe vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zimbabwe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 68% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $240 in Zimbabwe.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Zimbabwe – part of why living there is about 68% cheaper overall.

Zimbabwe is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.